


Growing Pains

by gaydemonium



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: I don't know how to tag this, M/M, Malec, Malec Fluff, alec lightwood was a smol bean, baby Alec, smol alec, so small but so mighty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2017-05-08
Packaged: 2018-10-29 14:26:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10855875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaydemonium/pseuds/gaydemonium
Summary: Growing up is never easy, especially if you're Alec Lightwood.From the moment he was born right to now, this is a story about Alec's growing pains.





	Growing Pains

**Author's Note:**

> Funny story. I was scrolling through twitter and saw one of my mutuals talking about a baby Alec concept. This sparked an idea so I immediately began to write it. The product of this inspiration is absolutely gorgeous. I love the outcome and I love how this short story turned out. So enjoy and make sure you have tissues when you read.
> 
> This is for user PatronusMalec. The concept queen.

**i**

It was a cold and rainy night when Maryse Lightwood went into labor with her first child. Robert had contacted the Silent Brothers immediately within minutes, they were all gathered around Maryse as she screamed in pain.

"Just take a deep breath, honey. It'll all be over soon," Robert said as he held his wife's hand.

Maryse let out a long scream. "Oh, by the Angel this hurts! Why won't it come out?!"

_You have to push, Maryse Lightwood_ said the Silent Brother, Emmanuel. Take a deep breath and push

Maryse did as she was told, pushing with all the strength she had in her while screaming in agony.

"I can see the head!" Robert exclaimed. "Keep pushing! It's almost here!"

"Oh god!" Maryse screamed one final time as she pushed, collapsing back into the pillows as the last bit of energy she had left her body.

A loud cry came from the sheets below. Brother Emmanuel gently lift the small baby, still covered in blood, and wrapped it in blankets as he cut the cord.

_Congratulations on a healthy baby boy_ he said, face unchanging as he handed the baby to Maryse.

Maryse let out a small sob as she held her son in her arms. He was small, with a shock of raven black hair on his head and a cry loud enough to wake the dead. "He's beautiful. Everything I wished for and more."

"Hey kiddo," Robert chuckled between happy sobs. He placed a hand on his son's small head with a broad smile. "You have your mom's hair. Maybe you'll have my eyes."

The baby sneezed and let out a final loud wail before snuggling into his blue blanket and going to sleep.

Maryse chuckled. "I can't believe it. We have a baby boy, Robert. This is our son that we brought into this world."

Robert kissed his wife. "Have you come up with the perfect name for him yet? I know you had quite the extensive list, last I saw."

Maryse nodded. "I do, actually. And it's perfect." She looked down at her sleeping son and smiled warmly. "Alexander Gideon Lightwood. A perfect name for my perfect boy."

**ii**

"He's not eating," Robert said one day, one after Alec was born.

Little Alec was growing. Although he was still small, his now hazel eyes were wide with childlike wonder and his hair was long and curly and bounced as he waved his chubby arms around in the air as he gurgled and fussed. Overall, he was a happy and healthy little boy.

"Did you try the train?" Maryse suggested. She'd been sitting at her desk in the study, directly across from the kitchen, and she occasionally looked up to see her husband trying to feed their son. "He likes it when you make train noises. I think it's a mundane thing."

"Train noises? I'll try that, I guess." Robert lift the spoon full of porridge again in front of Alec's face. "Here comes the train! Choo choo!"

Alec's face broke out into a chubby smile and he made grabby hands at the spoon in front of him. "Mmm. Yum!" He exclaimed as the spoon went into his mouth.

"That's my boy. Eat your dinner and you'll grow up big and strong like me and your mom-" Robert frowned as Alec flung the bowl of food off the high chair and laughed boisterously. "You think that's funny, huh? Making a mess on the floor?"

"Robert, he's a baby. Relax. He doesn't know any better," Maryse scorned. She made her way out of the study and entered the kitchen. This caught Alec's eye and he watched his mother warm up a bottle of milk, a long string of drool seeping from the side of his mouth as she neared him with the milk. Savagely, he grabbed the bottle from her hand and brought it to his mouth, sucking loudly and with as much purpose as his little body could muster.

"Just give him milk for now. It'll keep him full until tonight. It's soon time for a nap, isn't it handsome?" Maryse laughed as Alec flashed her a toothless smile. "Yeah, you know it is. I know you do. Come to mama."

Bottle still in his mouth, Alec reached up and let his mother gather him up in her arms. When the bottle slipped and fell to the floor, his eyes widened and he pointed to it.

"Uh oh," he said, his little voice full of concern. "Uh oh!"

"It's okay. Dad's going to pick it up for you," Maryse told him.

Robert picked the bottle up from the floor. "There you go, kiddo. Everything's okay now. You go with mama to your room for a nap, okay?" He kissed Alec on the head. "I love you, little man. Sweet dreams."

In his room, Maryse placed him gently down inside his crib and covered him over with his blanket. She smiled. He had fallen asleep with his warm bottle of milk next to him, small snores coming from his nose.

"Alexander. My beautiful boy," Maryse whispered. She placed a hand on his tiny, full belly only to discover it was warm to the touch from the milk he just had. This made her smile as she kissed his forehead and left the room, turning off the light behind her.

**iii**

Two years later. Two years have passed and Alec is now a chubby 3 year old boy, dashing through the hallways of the New York institute with his plastic sword and hitting people behind the knees with it as he runs by. He's playful and loud, just as most children his age usually are.

Alec ran down the hallway, waving his toy sword and pretending to kill a demon when he paused just outside of his mother's office door. She wasn't inside when he peeked in so he tiptoed in to have a look around. Being only 3 at the time, he didn't quite know the difference between right and wrong yet, and it was very wrong of him to go inside his mother's office without her permission.

The big chair behind her desk was what caught his eye. Waddling over on his short chubby legs, he tried to jump up onto it. The chair was much too tall for him.

But he was clever, Alec. He then went over to the large bookshelf that showcased all kinds of big books and pulled one down off the shelf, bringing it over to the front of the chair. He laid it down on the floor and stood on it. Still not tall enough. So he did it again, bringing over another book and placing it on the one that was already on the floor. Perfect height.

Now that he was seated at the desk, he giggled and tapped his small fingers on the mahogany desk; a motion he'd seen his mother do many times before. He was now the boss like his mother was.

"Mommy! Mommy come here!" He yelled, his little voice carrying through the halls.

A moment later, Maryse appeared in the office. She was out of breath and looked like she had been running through the halls herself.

"Alec. Baby, what's wrong?" She asked. At first she couldn't see where her son was in the room, but a giggle from her desk brought her attention to it. She smiled as a pair of tiny hands appeared on the desk and a curly black haired head peeked out from above it. "There you are. What are you doing back there?"

Alec giggled. "Mommy, look! I'm you!" He made a stern face and pointed at her. "I'm the boss now! Go draw me a picture! Report back immediately!"

Maryse had to bite her lip to keep from smiling. "Of course, Mr. Lightwood. Anything else?"

Alec's face scrunched as he thought hard. "And make me a sandwich!" He paused for a moment. "Please," he added sweetly with a toothy smile.

Maryse scooped him up in her arms and nuzzled into his neck, making him laugh. "One day you'll be the head of this institute. When you're a big boy."

"I'm a big boy now!" Alec exclaimed.

"I mean when you're big like mommy and daddy. When you're big and strong," she tapped him on the nose, earning herself a dimpled smile. "Now go play with your toys. We have visitors coming later."

The visitors, as it turns out was the Clave, arrived later that afternoon. Alec didn't know what a Clave was, nor did he understand the importance of that meeting with his mom and dad. He ran into the big room where his parents and the Clave were having their meeting and tugged on his mother's sleeve.

"Mommy, I pooped in my pants," he announced. There wasn't an ounce of shame in him as he spoke.

Maryse had turned blood red, looking at Robert for support. He just shrugged with a smirk as the Clace members glanced around the table at the little Lightwood child. "Okay. Come on. Mommy will change your clothes, okay? And remember what daddy and I said about the rumbly in your tummy?"

Alec rolled his eyes. "Use the potty. I know. I forgot."

Maryse reached down and took his hand. "Exactly. Now follow mommy. Let's go get you all cleaned up."

**iv**

Alec was 5 when his baby sister was born. His parents called her Isabelle. He called her annoying. All she did all day and night was cry and it was beginning to drive him crazy.

"Does she ever stop crying?" He asked one night when Maryse was rocking Isabelle in her arms. She had began crying an hour ago and hasn't stopped since.

"She does sometimes. Can you be a big boy and pass me her bottle? I'll try feeding her again," Maryse whispered. She sounded so tired. Alec felt bad for her.

He reached up onto the changing bed, just barely tall enough to grab it, and brought it over. "She smells funny. I think she pooped in her diaper."

"Sounds like something a certain someone used to do too when they were a baby," Maryse winked at her son. "She'll outgrow it. We all do eventually-oh. She stopped crying. See?"

Alec looked at the bundle of pink blankets in his mother's arms. Isabelle has the same shock of black hair that he had and her eyes were open but they were darker than his own. She was a cute baby. "Yeah. She did. Maybe she was just hungry all along?"

Maryse nodded. "Maybe. Now once I put her to bed, you need to be very quiet, okay? No loud noises."

With a nod, Alec watched as Maryse fed his sister the rest of her bottle and gently placed her in her crib. When she was asleep and wasn't wailing, Alec thought she looked so beautiful. Her lashes were long against her chubby cheeks and her mouth moved as she slept as if she were talking in her sleep. He giggled quietly.

"Mommy? Can I stay with her for a little while? I'll be really quiet. I promise," he whispered.

"Okay. Just be gentle with her and no loud noises," Maryse whispered in response. "Turn off her light when you leave the room."

"I will," Alec nodded. "Goodnight mommy."

Maryse bent down and kissed her children on the forehead. "Goodnight, Isabelle. Goodnight Alec, my sweet boy."

Alec beamed as she left the room, leaving him alone with his baby sister. When his mother was gone, he grabbed the stool that he used to brush his teeth and stood over his sister. He watched her for a while, occasionally reaching into the crib to brush a gentle hand over her head. Isabelle fussed for a minute but fell right back to sleep.

"You're really tiny for a baby. I thought you'd be bigger," Alec wondered out loud. He reached down and let Isabelle grab his finger with her small hand. "Whoa. You got a strong grip! You'll make a good sparring partner one day."

Isabelle sneezed and coughed but didn't wake up. This made Alec smile broadly. He wasn't tall enough to lean down and give her a kiss so he kissed his hand and then placed that hand on her head.

"Goodnight, Izzy. I'll always protect you. No matter what," he whispered before getting down off the stool and leaving the room, turning off the light behind him.

**v**

When Alec was 10, he began training with the bow and arrow. It wasn't as easy as he thought it would be; the string was hard to pull back and he couldn't aim very well. But he was determined to at least hit the target, even if it wasn't a bullseye.

Apart from the beginning of his training, he now had two permanent runes on his body. The first was the Angelic rune, the first rune that young Shadowhunters get as a child. The second was a Deflect rune which lined the left side of his neck. This was a common spot for this particular rune for the Lightwood family and he was so proud of himself for not flinching in pain during both occasions.

"Alec! I need your help, Alec!" A small voice rang out through the training room. It broke through Alec's concentration and the arrow he had successfully notched back went flying and pinned itself into the wall.

"Dang it, Izzy! You broke my concentration!" Alec grumbled. He turned to see his little sister standing in the doorway to the training room, her long black hair dangling down over her shoulders. "Where's mom and dad? They can't do it for you?"

She shook her head. "No. Hodge told me they were gone to Idris."

Alec shrugged. "So Hodge couldn't do it for you either?"

Stubbornly, Isabelle held out the hair elastic to him. "You do it better than he does."

With a sigh Alec rolled his eyes. "Fine. Come on. I need to brush your hair back. It's a mess."

Isabelle clapped her hands and took her brother by the hand, the two of them running through the halls of the institute together. Ever since Izzy learned to walk, the two were always found chasing each other through the halls, laughing and giggling as they made up their own games to pass the time. This had stopped for a while ever since Alec had begun his training, but he still managed to find time to play with his sister whenever he could.

"Mommy said you start sparring soon," said Isabelle as Alec began to brush her hair.

"Where did you hear that?" He asked, brushing back his sister's hair with the hairbrush. He did so with expert hands, having done so a million times before. He gently brushed back her hair, gathering it up between his fingers and wrapping the hairband around it before giving it a tug.

"I heard her talking to daddy about it the other day. But she can't find many kids your age that you haven't already beaten up."

Alec smirked. "Was she talking about that kid Preston? Because he deserved what I gave him. He called me short."

Isabelle turned to face him. "He's not wrong. You are short. And you're supposed to be 10-"

"I am!" Alec sighed. "I just hate being called names. Especially in front of the other kids. They all look at me funny like I'm a freak or something...."

Isabelle sat next to her brother on the floor, tracing the Angelic rune on his left arm. "You're not a freak. You're a Lightwood. And what do Lightwoods do?"

Alec smirked. "We break noses and accept the consequences."

Isabelle nodded with a smile. She seemed to act so much older than she really was. "Come on. Let's play hide and seek before mommy and daddy come home. They'll never know you stopped training for a while."

Alec hesitated in the doorway as Isabelle began to drag him by the hand. "I don't know. I really should be training...."

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "Oh, Alec. Always playing by the rules. Just play with me for once. Before you forget about me completely."

Alec looked offended by this. "I could never forget you. You're my little sister and I love you."

"I know. And you're my big brother," she said, leaning into his face and smiling. "So start acting like one and play with me."

**vi**

When Jace first arrived at the institute, Alec was 13. Jace was 10. He had been training when he nearly shot Jace with an arrow and Jace showed off his skills with a throwing knife, the blade easily making its home at the center of the target. They immediately became best friends.

Alec's mother had said that Jace's father was killed and that he'd be staying with them. She didn't directly say it out loud but Alec knew that they were adopting him. The Waylands were close friends of the Lightwoods for years and it only made sense for them to take in Jace when he needed a home. Alec and Isabelle had earned themselves a brother that day.

Jace was taller, even at age 10 and always got the attention. It didn't matter from who; girls, guys, adults. Whether they were amazed with his two different coloured eyes or by his angelic face, he was the golden boy that couldn't do no wrong. As soon as they started sparring together, Alec quickly realized how far along Jace was in terms of training. He was much more advanced and more talented, regardless of the weapon he used. He seemed to be good at them all.

"You give up yet?" Jace chuckled as Alec tried to swipe at his legs, but he had jumped just in time to avoid falling over.

"Never," Alec grunted as Jace knocked him down and pinned him to the floor, arms above his head.

Jace panted and laughed. "Not bad for a little guy. To be honest, when I first heard of Alexander Lightwood I immediately thought of a badass. Not a tiny guy like you."

Alec tried to wriggle away but it was no good. Jace was bigger, heavier and stronger than he was. "Sorry to disappoint. Now get off me."

"Not until....you stop hitting yourself!" Jace laughed as he made Alec slap himself in the face with his hands.

"Jace! Stop!" Alec laughed as the other boy continued to make him slap himself. "I'll tell mom and she won't let you train with me anymore!"

Jace scowled. "Fun sucker. Always playing it safe. I can see why nobody wants to train with you."

Alec leaned up on his elbows on the mat. "Who told you that?"

Jace glanced at him as he took a swig from his water bottle. "Told me what?"

"That nobody wants to train with me."

Jace shrugged and waved a hand. "It doesn't matter. I'm training with you now and that's all that matters. You'll be as good as me in no time," he laughed as he hauled Alec to his feet. "Maybe one day we'll even be parabatai!"

Alec smiled. "Yeah. Maybe one day."

Jace gave him a cocky smile and punched him playfully on the shoulder. "Come on, big brother. Best two out of three."

**vi**

When Alec was 14, nearly 15, and puberty had begun to set in and it was taking its toll on him. He had just shot up several inches during the summer, making him gangly and awkward even as he walked. His voice had begun to crack and he avoided talking at all costs to save himself the embarrassment and ridicule from his siblings.

Aside from teenage hormones, he also had begun going on missions with Hodge and his father. Jace wasn't quite yet old enough to go with them, so he followed his father around during missions and taking mental notes on the do's and don'ts.

One day as he returned to the institute, he had been injured by a Dravak demon and he got his first Iratze rune permanently drawn on his skin. The pain eased up almost immediately after his father activated it and he sighed heavily in relief.

"You need to be more careful, son. I won't always be there to have your back," Robert had told him that day. When his son nodded, he ruffled Alec's hair and chuckled. "I can't believe you're as tall as I am now. I remember when you used to be a small little kid-"

"Dad!" Alec's voice cracked and he grimaced at the sound of it. "Come on. Not now. Not while Hodge is around."

Hodge laughed. "Just pretend I'm not here and I didn't hear the hilarious crack in your voice just then."

Alec, exasperated at this point, slid down onto a chair and groaned. It was only when he opened his eyes did he notice Jace standing in front of him. His blonde hair was messy and standing in every which way and his heterochromia eyes squinted down at him.

"Are you hurt?" He asked, his eyes roaming over Jace. He had just turned 12 himself not long ago. His own voice had lowered too but it wasn't cracking like Alec's was but it was on the verge of breaking at any moment.

"I was but I'm fine now. Dad gave me my first Iratze and the pain went away immediately. How long have you been standing there?"

Jace shrugged. "Not long. I was just helping mom with Max. He keeps waking up and throwing a fit. It's getting real irritating." He gave Alec a gentle kick in the foot with his own. "So how was the mission? Did you guys find the Dravak nest?"

"Yeah. Dad burned it while Hodge took care of the mother. I stood guard for mundanes."

Jace smirked. "So heroic. What would mundanes do without you?"

Alec shoved him with his foot, laughing. "Shut up. Don't you have anything else better to do? Like chasing girls around?"

Jace raised his hands in surrender. "Hey. I don't chase the girls. The girls chase me. I can't help it I was born good looking."

Alec rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm going to go take a shower. What's for dinner later?"

"I think mom said chicken and vegetables but I could be wrong." Jace gave him a kick in the butt as he walked by. "You reek. Make sure you get behind the ears too. Drevaks leave remains of their eggs behind ears. That's where most of the body heat is."

Alec laughed this off as he made his way to his room, turning on the shower and quickly jumping inside and scrubbing every inch of his body, especially behind his ears.

It wasn't until he got out of the shower and he looked at himself in the mirror did he fully take in the changes of his face. His jawline was becoming more prominent, the baby fat quickly fading with each passing day, and he was starting to feel stubble growing on his chin and a little bit on his chest. He was becoming more muscular from all the training that he does but it wasn't a thick muscle. It was lean but muscle nonetheless. He was going through....other changes as well but he tried not to think about that very much.

Another thing he couldn't help but notice was how he felt no attraction towards girls. While Jace was always talking about them and flirting with them whenever he could, Alec couldn't bring himself to even talk to one. They did nothing for him. Was there something wrong with him? Were his hormones not set in yet when it came to girls? He wasn't sure and he wasn't about to ask either.

A knock came on his door. "Alec. Dinner is ready," Isabelle sang out from the hall. "Are you dressed yet?"

Alec pulled on a pair of boxer and his jeans. "Coming! Just give me a second!" He squeaked.

Isabelle cackled. "Oh man. I hope your voice stays this way. This is so entertaining for all of us."

Alec swung open his bedroom door and stared her down. She was almost 9, and for once she was finally shorter than him. "Move. We're going to be late for dinner."

She smirked. "You know I tease you because I love you, right?"

"I said-ugh. Never mind. Just come on. You know mom hates it when we're late to the table."

Isabelle snickered and reached down for her brother's hand. "Race you. Last one there is a rotten egg."

She took off down the hall with a squeal, prompting Alec to roll his eyes but follow behind her with a smile on his face, feeling very nostalgic as he remembered all the times they used to chase each other when they were younger.

**vii**

Alec was 17 when he and Jace became parabatai. Jace, now 15, couldn't help but brag to everyone that he had the best parabatai in the world and how they were going to slay every demon in existence together.

Alec was also 17 when he finally put a name to the feeling in the pit of his stomach whenever another boy his age would talk to him or come over to talk to Jace or Isabelle.

"I'm gay," he had told Isabelle. "I like boys."

Isabelle, 12, shrugged. "Okay. Whatever. Cool? Congrats? I don't know what to say here."

"Don't say anything. Please. Not to mom or dad and especially not to Jace. He can't know," Alec's voice shuddered in fear as he spoke. "He can't know...."

Isabelle's scrutinizing gaze became one of realization. "Holy crap. Do you....do you love him?"

Alec gulped. "Of course I do. He's my brother and my parabatai-"

"No...Alec. Not that kind of love. I meant do you love him?"

Isabelle went to Alec's side once he began to sob uncontrollably and began to rub his back. He'd fall apart in front of her sometimes because he knew she wouldn't judge him, and he'd fall apart often. Whether it was from the stress of training or because their parents put too much pressure on him, there were nights he'd crawl into bed with her and just cry. She didn't say anything. She would just hold him and rub his back until he cried himself to sleep.

"Alec....it's okay. I won't say anything to anyone. I promise," Isabelle whispered. "This will just be between me and you."

Alec wiped the tears off his face. "You won't tell anyone?"

"No. I'll leave that part to you when you're ready."

Alec wrapped his long arms around his sister and hugged her. "Thank you. You're the best sister ever."

"Of course I am. Don't you forget it either," she laughed into his shirt. "Now please let me go. You're crushing my skull."

"Oh. Sorry." He let her go and smiled. "I'm serious when I say thank you. I really do mean it."

"Don't worry about it. This will be a secret just between you and me. Pinky swear."

Alec looked at Isabelle's pinky finger as she held it up. "Seriously? A pinky promise?"

"Sure. Why not? Or do you want something more official?"

Alec's eyes brightened. "The Promise rune. I'll give you one if you give me one."

Isabelle snorted. "Won't Jace get a little suspicious of how and why you have a Promise rune on you?"

"No. Because he knows I made a promise and that promise might mean to not say anything."

Isabelle shrugged. "Point taken. Alright. I'll give you one. Where do you want it?"

Alec lift his shirt. "On my right ribcage. Seems like a good spot for it." He winced as he felt the pressure of Isabelle's stele on his skin, the ice cold burn making his skin feel like it was on fire as she drew the rune. Once she was finished, he fixed his shirt back down and took out his own stele. "Okay. Your turn. Where do you want yours?"

Isabelle lift the back of her shirt. "Here. For everyone to see when I train."

Alec raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want everyone to see?"

"Because I want them to know that I made a promise to someone and I plan on keeping that promise safe."

Moved by her words, Alec carefully drew the Promise rune on her right shoulder blade, just beside the strap of her bra. Once he was finished, he let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks again, Izzy. You really are the best sister."

"I'm your only sister," she corrected, "and don't you forget it either."

**viii**

Fast forward six years. Alec is now 23 and is out to his family. Though he was completely new to the whole dating world, he didn't think his first real boyfriend would be the High Warlock of Brooklyn himself, Magnus Bane. It was kind of both a shock and a blessing at the same time.

He didn't deserve Magnus. Magnus, being the amazing person that he was, was too good to him. He might've been too good for him as well but the thought was immediately brushed from his mind as Magnus stepped out onto the balcony with a cup of tea.

"Long day?" He asked, twirling his spoon around in his cup.

Alec sighed. "Too long. Aldertree was removed as head of the institute today and now they're appointing a new one...."

Magnus nudged him. "And? Don't leave me in suspense. Who's the new head of household?"

"Well that's just it. There isn't one. At least not yet, there isn't. But I've been thinking...."

"Again with the dramatic pauses. Just say what's on your mind, Alexander. You're worse than commercial breaks."

Alec chuckled. "Sorry. I've been thinking about applying for the position."

Magnus stopped stirring his tea. "You mean as head of the institute?"

"Yeah. Should I? I mean I'll be busy all the time and we won't see each other as much-"

"Don't worry about me. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. But I absolutely think you should apply. God, Alec, you're a natural born leader. You're a logical thinker. Plus you're reasonable as well. This position fits you perfectly!" Magnus beamed but that smile quickly faded when he saw Alec's from expression. "But you're not actually going to do it. Are you?"

"I....I don't know. They want the new head to sign a Downworld legislation. To keep record of all Downworlders in New York. I don't really agree with it."

"Then that should be your first act as head of the institute. State you don't agree with the legislation," Magnus leaned in and kissed the Shadowhunter's neck. "Alec, come on. You know you were meant to be the rightful head of the institute. There's no doubt in my mind about that. Why are you second guessing yourself?"

With a sigh, Alec got to his feet and walked over to the ledge of the balcony. "I'm not sure. All my life, ever since I started my training, I've been told I was never good enough and never will be good enough. My parents pushed me so hard growing up...."

Magnus made the few steps toward where Alec was standing and held his hand. "You are good enough. You're more than good enough. You're perfect. Don't let the words of some grumpy old farts bring you down."

Alec laughed. "Old farts? You're older than they are!"

"Yes, I know. But do I look it? No. I don't. So back to the conversation about you. I will have your resume hot off the printer as soon as you wake up tomorrow morning. I'll even have it done up in a nice plastic folder for you-stop laughing. I'm being serious."

"I know. That's why I'm laughing," Alec turned and hooked his arms around Magnus' waist. "I'm so lucky to have you in my life. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you."

Magnus smiled. "For starters, your resume would be on looseleaf and written in red ink," he laughed as Alec rolled his eyes. "You should really apply yourself, Alec. You'd be surprised by what you can do."

Alec kissed him softly on the lips. "I will. Have that resume hot off the printer for me in the morning?"

Magnus nodded and kissed him back. "I promise, Alexander Gideon Lightwood." He smiled up at the Shadowhunter, eyes twinkling. "Alexander Gideon Lightwood. A perfect name for my perfect man."


End file.
